Glasscaster: Hot Glass Talk in a High-Tech World

Glasscaster with Robert Mickelsen

Join Robert Mickelsen on his journey through the ever-evolving world of fine flameworking! In this interview we discuss his entrance into the functional glass world, and the fabulous collaborations that followed. 

The Unsinkable Lisa Vogt

I'd always wanted to interview Lisa Vogt...she was the first artist I knew who made glass sinks, which were high on my bucket list at the time. She's been working glass since 1988, has published 14 books and numerous articles. Her work has been exhibited in major cities throughout the US.  She's done plenty of Art in Public Places, many commissions, and she's a terrific instructor. We've produced quite a few Glass Expert Webinars™ together. We ran into each other recently at a glass indu...

Bert Cohen's Marvelous Art Glass Marbles

I was lucky enough to interview Bert Cohen, known to the world as Marble Bert, by phone back in 2011 for a magazine article. Bert believed it was way better for kids to shoot marbles than drugs or each other! He collected hundreds of thousands of marbles in his lifetime, and gave away almost as many! I just located this interview file after all these years....it was missing in action on an old laptop. Sadly, Bert passed away in 2015 at the age of 83. Here he is, digitally immortalized for yo...

Fusing Musings with Richard La Londe

Join us as we take a trip down memory lane with glass fusing artist Richard La Londe. You'll delight in hearing how fusing has transformed since the early days. Reminisce about kilns with no digital controls and shoot-from-the-hip firing schedules. Remember the days when frit was smashed by hand! Find out about the origins of Bullseye Glass and the efforts of the original artists that made it all happen! Fusing wouldn't be where it is today without the adventurous spirit of Richard and his c...

Shatter Some Glass with Tony Glander

If you've ever wanted to throw caution to the wind and shatter your glass before you play with it, you've come to the right place! Tony Glander loves breaking tempered glass and reassembling it, then popping it into his kiln for transformation. In this interview he'll tell you about his "Shatterglass" technique, his photographic screen printing, evolution as an artist, and what inspires him.  He thinks in marvelous and mysterious ways, loving to break the rules that we've come to think o...

Old World Sparkle!

If you've ever wondered how traditional old-world ornaments were made, here's how! Michael Haberland, a third generation ornament artist from Lauscha, Germany, shares the entire process with you. In addition to finding out how traditional European ornaments are created, you will also find out first-hand what it was like for this young man growing up under Communism, and how life has changed since the Wall came down! An insightful look into glass, history, and the politics of our times!  If...

The Many Faces of Peggy Pettigrew Stewart

Join Glasscaster as we share an exciting look into the world of Peggy Pettigrew Stewart. Her work with fused glass, kiln casting and Verre Eglomise has brought the world some phenomenal glass art. We discuss at length her current project casting the faces of some of rock and roll's greatest legends in glass. Focusing specifically on the San Francisco Bay area bands during the Summer of Love, she has cast the faces of Big Brother and the Holding Company, (Janis Joplin's Band), Country Joe McD...

Glasscaster Celebrates Edith Franklin

Edith Franklin was one of the lucky few to participate in the   legendary 1962 glass workshop with Harvey Littleton. This momentous occassion heralded the beginning of the Studio Glass Movement.  In this interview Franklin shares her memories of Littleton, Nick Labino and the humble beginnings of studio glass. A potter by trade, she was one of Littleton's ceramics students. He had a profound influence on her career; she continued in clay and eventually co-founded the Toledo Potters Guild. K...

There and Back with Milon Townsend

Travel from Paris to Pakistan with glass artist Milon Townsend! Hear about his early adventures with fire and glass, and how how path led from flameworking to casting and back. Enjoy thoughtful discussions about teaching, webinars, and intellectual property. Plus....a little bonus content on homemade explosive devices and how glassblowers like to make things go "boom!" Join us April 30th and May 2nd for Milon's first online workshop! This first webinar, "Flameworking Dichroic Glass" will be...

The Great Santini!

You're going to love this interview with the Great Santini! One of the most talented transplanted Italians to grace American shores, Emilio's comedic antics will have you rolling in the aisles! You'll learn about life, love and the pursuit of happiness from one of the foremost flameworkers of our times. We'd like to thank Glasscraft Inc. for sponsoring this podcast: www.glasscraftinc.com To see some of Emilio's work and find out more about him, go to: www.santiniemilio.com Ciao!

Glasscaster with Tom Philabaum

If you don't know Tom Philabaum, you should! And here's your chance! This is an artist who's life story reads like an adventure novel….He studied with Harvey Littleton, has worked with Dale Chihuly, and has created immense public installations, including glass waterfalls and flying carpets! Now involved exploring the architectural limits of Dalle de Verre, he's a man of many talents. Have you ever enjoyed a Flame Off? You can thank Tom for that! He's the force behind the Sonoran Glass School...

Memories of Fairglade

As so many parents and children get ready for “Back to School” and anticipate the excitement of a fresh start and a new school  year, I wanted to share some memories of Fairglade, my all-time favorite school. This alternative educational environment, which changed the lives of hundreds of families, was located in Miami, Florida. Enjoy the recollections of Ms. Karen Collins, who ran the school for many years. This interview will share poignant and cherished memories that will be especially m...

Behind the Iron Curtain with Fred Birkhill

Join us on a trip down memory lane as Fred shares his wacky and perilous journey behind the Iron Curtain. Obsessed by the glass of Lauscha, no regime could keep this passionate artist away. Home to some of the most complex glass techniques in the world, Fred risked life and limb to befriend a number of the influential artists who's work was hidden from the world in communist East Germany. Follow Fred's adventures and learn about the precise nature of the montage vessels created by Kurt Wall...

Flower Power- Flameworked Flowers with Margaret Neher

Margaret Neher fashions fabulous flameworked flowers using borosilicate glass. Influenced and inspired by the Blaschka glass flowers, her attention to detail allows her to create spectacularly lifelike work. Textures and patterns are her constant companions, and she finds them everywhere! If you have ever worked at making your own glass flowers, you'll get great technical advice here on how to prevent (and cure!) fractures, cracks and other unanticipated separations.  Find out more about h...

Playtime with Deb Carlson

Join your host, Marcie Davis, and Deborah Carlson, as they explore ways of getting in touch with your inner artist. By getting ego out of the way and reconnecting with the spirit of play, you can find your creative center. Playtime with Deb gives you ideas for getting beyond ego in both individual and group settings. Look for excerpts of this podcast in the upcoming issue of The Flow Magazine. Sponsored by Glasscraft Inc.

The Care and Feeding of Seahorses and Silver Colors, with Kimberly Affleck

Join us for an under-the-sea sojourn with Kimberly Affleck! Her seahorses are delightful and unique. She shares how they came to be and her journey of discovery through glass. You'll also great technical advice on how to work soft glass silver colors; how to get them to "pop" and generate the great effects that they're known for. We'd like to thank Glasscraft Inc. for sponsoring this podcast. Excerpts of this interview are featured in the November/December 2011 issue of Glass Art Magazine. ...

The Invasion of the Italian Stallions/Part2/Lucio Bubacco and Emilio Santini

Get a rare glimpse into the boyhood memories of Lucio Bubacco and Emilio Santini. Friends since birth, they share some of the hilarity of growing up together in Murano, Italy. Join us as two of the world's foremost flamework artists share their common past. Find out how Lucio's work evolved, what themes and influences are important to him, and how mythology, philosophy and sexuality converge to create some of the most complex flameworked pieces in the history of the art. This episode is sp...

The Invasion of the Italian Stallions/ Part 1/ Cesare Toffolo

Join us for the first installment of "The Invasion of the Italian Stallions" featuring Cesare Toffolo. This Muranese Maestro shares his life, his work, and his innovations in glass. As a special bonus, we have a guest appearance by Emilio Santini, our talented and mischievous translator. This interview was conducted at the International Flameworking Conference. You can see excerpts of it featured in the Winter, 2011 issue of Glashaus Magazine. We would like to thank Glasscraft Inc. for spon...

The Birth of the Studio Glass Movement Through The Eyes of Marvin Lipofsky

Witness the birth of the Studio Glass Movement through the eyes of Marvin Lipofsky. As one of the students that participated in Harvey Littleton's first glassblowing class, he was present from the beginning. His work as a glass artist has taken him all over the world, where he was often the first American artist to collaborate with local factory workers. From the Czech Republic to Russia, Japan, Finland and Yugoslavia, this international glass master has seen it all. You'll also hear about t...

Build Your Dreams with Tim Macfarlane

  Build your dreams in glass! Engineer Tim Macfarlane shares a bit about the complexities of determining the stress, strain and structural strength of our favorite sparkly material. He brings architects' visions to life, an accomplishment that is no small feat!   You may recognize his work when treading upon sculptural glass staircases at Apple stores around the world. Or climbing the ruby red staircase at Times Square to usher in the New Year.    But it's not all about the modern appl...

Paul Stankard: My Life So Far

Paul Stankard's contributions in glass span more than four decades. You'll enjoy this candid and revealing interview with one of the world's foremost and well-loved paperweight makers. Find out about his thoughtful and provocative book, "No Green Berries or Leaves", and see what's happening at his alma mater, Salem Community College. Their new Glass Center now fuels it's furnaces using methane from a nearby landfill while turning extra gas into electricity. An ambitious undertaking! (Recorde...

Love Your S'elf, A Hot Glass Tutorial

Our first podcast tutorial! For a very long time I've considered the podcast potential for creating "enhanced tutorials." So here we go....Watch! Look! And Listen! Suzie Fitzwater shares how she constructs her S'elf. It's just the CUTEST little flameworked Elf on a mandrel. We've created this tutorial to feature the flesh tones of Lauscha's CARAMELLO. If you want to try making this elf but you're out of CARAMELLO, head on over to www.firelady.com and you can find it under Lauscha Glass ro...

A Fireside Chat with Shane Fero

Shane shares his personal history, cultural influences, & artistic evolution as one of the foremost American flamework artists. Follow his path from its early beginnings at Santa's Workshop & Cypress Gardens, through his trailblazing career as one of the visionaries that redefined the hot glass world. Find out how Shane’s insightful and progressive ideas are being implemented within the Glass Art Society, where his reign as President has resulted in many new benefits for members and the gl...

Figures, Fairies, and the Flameworking Magic of Julie Riggs

Join us as we explore the personal cosmos of Julie Riggs. Her glass sculptures blend spirit, sensuality and nature with passion, conviction and skill. It's a successful mix! We discuss fairies, figures and flamework, as well as technical subjects such as amber purple, surface mixed torches, and her recent collaborative work in Las Vegas. This interview was conducted as we stole extra time before checkout at the end of a GAS Conference in Corning. Excerpts of this interview were printed in th...

Roger Parramore, on the Japanese Aesthetic

Join us as we explore the Japanese flameworking scene. Roger Parramore shares with us how the Japanese aesthetic has influenced his work. Try as he might, efforts to resist the artistic flavor of the Far East proved futile! Enjoy this cultural immersion, and his articulate & candid observations on the joys & dangers of absorbing and adapting the artistic imagery of a foreign land. Find out about the Osaka University of Art, and it's world class flameworking program....the first program of it'...

Suellen Fowler: Sharing the Chemistry of Color

So you think you know a little about borosilicate color, do you? Join Suellen Fowler & I as we take a walk down memory lane and explore the history and chemistry of colored borosilicate glass. Boro is notoriously difficult to color, because traditional coloring agents burn out at the temperatures required for boro. Starting with her early experimentation under the tutelage of John Burton and Margaret Youd, Suellen began creating her own color recipes while still in her teens. Her formulas be...

Lisa St. Martin; On the Workhouse at Lorton, the Miami Gathering & Gold Fuming

Listen to Lisa as she enthuses about the all new Workhouse at Lorton. This historic center has the infamous distinction of being the holding tank where protesting suffragettes were held after marching on Washington! Currently open to the public, this newly revamped center will become the largest arts community on the east coast. Lisa also discusses details of the upcoming ISGB Gathering in Miami, and additionally gives us a step-by-step discussion on the best ways of fuming with gold.

Let There Be Light! Wayne Strattman's Illuminated Glass

Wayne Strattman is a pioneer in the world of illuminated glass.Taking neon to new levels, his installations are architectural in scale, and internationally acclaimed. A PhD with an engineering background, his inner mad-scientist escapes on occasion. His book, "Neon Techniques" is the industry standard. His own work , however, leaves ordinary neon behind, and expands into product lines such as lightning and crackle tubes, plasma spheres, and his famed Luminglas. Created through a patented proc...

A Window on the World of Carmen Lozar

Carmen Lozar tackles ideas and ideals and translates them into glass. Her narrative scenes become commentaries on human behavior and modern life. She insists that we look upon the dark and the light within our society and within our own human nature. Her work can be startling, shocking, whimsical and humorous. Join us in this brief slideshow, narrated by the artist.

Burner Bash! A Brief History of Glassblowing Torches

I love fire! So I find this insiders' look into the history of torches to be tons of fun and rather fascinating. In this very informal telephone interview, we find our heroes, Fred Birkhill & Bruce Lawrence, discussing the intricacies of flame and combustion starting at the very beginning. Fred has some torches dating from ancient Rome! Have you ever seen a gasoline powered crossfire with glass tips? You will here! This animated discussion was initially conducted as a research-gathering conve...

The Journeys of Jared DeLong

Join Marcie Davis and Jared DeLong in a thought provoking interview about art, glass and inspiration. Jared shares his experiences with illustrating, hot glass, coldworking, and the creation of his glass knives. Together they explore their shared ideals on the personal enrichment gained by travel, and remind us all that life is about the journey, not the destination

Leah Fairbanks, Gardens of Glass

Find out how she does it! Join us as lampworking legend Leah Fairbanks shares some great tips on creating her floral flameworked beads. Her organic backgrounds are often composed of metallics and dichroics. In this easygoing interview you can learn how to apply some of these techniques to your own work, as well as find out more about the artist, how her style evolved, and where you can study with her.

Glass Notes with Henry Halem

Learn the truth about COE and it's limitations in calculating compatability between glasses! Henry Halem is one of the industry's leading experts on this and other technical subject matter. He's recently released an updated edition of his legendary "Glass Notes," the glass studio bible since 1996. From it you can learn how to build a glory hole, an annealer, batch your own glass, master sand casting, kiln casting, and find out how to calculate annealing temperatures. He's a wealth of knowledg...

Sally Prasch, One Industrial-Strength Glass Artist!

Sally Prasch is one industrial-strength glass artist! One of a handful of female scientific glassblowers, her story, struggle and subsequent success in this field makes great listening. Her adventures are both humorous and intriguing. What's the largest piece of apparatus she's ever made? Just a wee bit of quartz 12 inches in diameter and 11 feet long!!! Her talents range from the industrial to the artistic, including lathe work, neon, casting, and sculpture. She teaches all over the world. ...

Glass, Culture, and the Meaning of Life, with Gianni Toso

One of the grand artists and philosophers of our time! Gianni Toso participated in the early Studio Glass movement, flourished in the US and abroad with his narrative flameworking scenes, and has added his creative and spiritual spin to everything he touches. An inspiring interview! Find out about his controversial chess sets and his homemade wine! You’ll love listening to this entertaining and uplifting journey through his life. Enjoy!

Interview with Steve Sizelove

Join Marcie Davis and Steve Sizelove as they explore various marketing philosophies and the joys of a life in glass. Thoughtful and entertaining. Recorded at this year's International Flameworking Conference. You can read excerpts of this interview in The Flow Magazine, Summer, 2007.

Make a Gold Foil Bead in True Venetian Style

A Free Video Tutorial! Pat Frantz shows you how to make a Gold Foil Bead in true Venetian style. This short video podcast gives you a quick visit to the island of Murano, and some helpful hints on applying metal foils to your beads. Enjoy!

Murrine in Murano with Pat Frantz

Travel to Murano and Burano with Marcie Davis and Pat Frantz. You don't have to get on a plane....let Glasscaster take you there FREE! Pat is one of the world's foremost experts as well as collectors of fine murrine, and she is more than willing to share! So buckle your seat belt, relax, and listen.

Mickelsen on Creativity!

Check out our FIRST VIDEO PODCAST! We've wanted to test this technology for awhile now. And what better way than with a 7-minute mini-cast with Robert Mickelsen? His views on creativity are inspiring! This footage was shot just as the sun was rising early one Florida morning in Melbourne Beach. It's classic Mickelsen... We'd love some feedback regarding image quality and download times....

Kinetic Glass Sculpture with Bandhu Scott-Dunham

There's a little mad scientist in us all! Find out how Bandhu Scott-Dunham expresses his by combining inner vision with engineering skills to create marvelous kinetic glass sculptures. He shares the inspiration and history behind his glass steam engines and marble machines. And you thought it couldn't be done!

Kate Drew-Wilkinson, International Bead Queen!

An effervescent and exciting interview with Kate Drew-Wilkinson, describing her dream-come-true exhibit featuring American beadmaking, in Europe. See how she spreads glass joy around the world by leaving random beads on many continents! Listen now...

Loren Stump: The Myth & The Man

In an impromptu interview in a rented car in Tucson, Loren Stump shares his views on glass, globalization, inspiration and content creation. An enjoyable insight into the artist and the man. His contributions to flamework are profound. Find out what makes him tick!

Disney Daze

Journey across time and space with Marcie Davis as she interviews three talented glassblowers who've worked at Disney. Bill Rasmussen was on the scene when Disneyland opened in 1955. Lewis Wilson followed with a stint at Disneyworld in the '70's. And Keith Bryan gives us an insider's look at the cultural integration of this all-American icon at today's Disney Tokyo.

Micah Evans: Flamework, American Style

What's involved in finding your own true voice as an artist? Explore this concept with Micah Evans, a notoriously talented flameworker, as he shares his own path, and inspires you to develop yours! This incredible discussion delves into the inner workings of the artistic spirit, as well as the cultural influences that evoke certain expressive styles. What is it like to be working hot glass in America today? What does it mean to establish an "American Style" of flamework? Listen, and find out....

Tech Talk: Borosilicate Color with Henry Grimmett

Paul Stankard & Fred Birkhill: The Life of an Artist..is it the Life for You?

Paul Stankard & Fred Birkhill share their own personal artistic history, while giving excellent insight and advice into what it takes to live the life of an artist. Find out what influenced them, and hear their thoughts on how to access your own creativity. Recorded at the 6th International Flamework Conference.